How Kelly Clarkson Allegedly Feels About Returning To Work Following Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock’s Death

kelly clarkson on her daytime talk show in 2025
(Image credit: NBC)

It’s undoubtedly been a hard month for Kelly Clarkson, following the August 7 death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, and she’s taken some time over the past few weeks to be with her children and start the healing process. With the new season of her talk show premiering on the 2025 TV schedule later this month, however, the time has come to get back to work. Now, an insider is weighing in on how Clarkson allegedly feels about that.

The Kelly Clarkson Show is going into production of Season 7 on September 8, with some big names lined up. With everything that the host has been through — canceled concerts, rumors about why she was missing tapings, etc., not to mention her two kids losing their father — one has to wonder if she’s ready to get back to the grind. A source for Star alleges that she is, saying:

Kelly is looking forward to going back to work, if only to take her mind off the tragedy. Having a sense of routine and being back in a busy environment will do her good, or so she hopes.

Getting back to a routine can be a big help in the grieving process, and it sounds like Kelly Clarkson is allegedly hoping that getting back to The Kelly Clarkson Show will help take her mind off of what she and her family have been through.

Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson split in 2020, with their divorce being finalized in 2022 after a long court battle. Blackstock was diagnosed with cancer soon after, which reportedly shifted the American Idol alum's focus to helping their two young children cope. Over the years, she respected Blackstock’s privacy by not sharing his health struggles, even when it caused rumors to be spread that Clarkson wanted to leave TV. Now, however, the missed talk show appearances and postponed concerts make a lot of sense.

The upcoming season of Clarkson's eponymous talk show promises to be eventful. Here the guests that have been announced thus far:

  • Emily Blunt
  • Marion Cotillard
  • Colin Farrell
  • Scarlett Johansson
  • Dwayne Johnson
  • Matthew McConaughey
  • Lionel Richie
  • Julia Roberts
  • Shonda Rhimes
  • Margot Robbie
  • Sylvester Stallone
  • Channing Tatum
  • Reese Witherspoon

In addition to starting production on the new season of the Emmy-winning Kelly Clarkson Show, the singer also returned to The Voice after missing some episodes in the days that followed her ex-husband’s passing. Carson Daly opened up about supporting her and Reba McEntire — who was Brandon Blackson’s stepmother — during this difficult time.

Hopefully, Kelly Clarkson is OK to resume her hosting duties. As one of the most relatable celebrities, there may be a chance Clarkson even addresses the issue on her show now that everything has been made public. At the very least, I’m expecting some super emotional “Kellyoke” performances. She’s made reference to Brandon Blackstock in those segments before, but I imagine that now her emotions could be even more complicated.

Tune in for the Season 7 premiere on Monday, September 29. Check your local listings for time and channel.

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.

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